


To Catch a Storm

by antidons (Pogniscrow)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Doyoung is a Pirate Lord, Drama, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Magic, Politics, Romance, Sky Pirates, Slow Burn, Taeyong is an Admiral, renjun is a prince
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:00:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28690572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pogniscrow/pseuds/antidons
Summary: Prince Renjun only wanted to appease the noble houses of the Gilded Isles to avoid inciting a war.  Getting abducted by mythical sky pirates in the middle of a storm was the least of his problems.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	To Catch a Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the complicated, perplexing sky pirate au nobody asked for. It's, hopefully, going to be a long journey with many characters and many places to explore. There will be romance, somewhere between the killing and exploding. However, I do hope you guys can stick for the ride, because it's going to be fun, hopefully.

The Dauntless Sea never looked so resplendent. The soft hush of the ocean waves lap against the bow of the galleon. Renjun heard the soft crash as seafoam gathered around their vessel. On the Tailwind they sail. It's one of the older ships of the Dawn Coast’s fleet, with it's paint chipping, the floorboards creaking and its mast littered with patches of mismatched canvas from its many journeys spanning the Gilded Isles. Old reliable, as his father would call it. Though past its prime, the Tailwind represents the longevity and quality of craftsmanship put into the grand line of the Dawn Coast. It's one of Renjun's favorite ships to sail on. 

The wind rushes against his back as he looks towards the endless expanse of cerulean waters. It’s not often that he can witness the famously indignant sea so calm. Not even captain Mark could believe just how tame the waters have been. 

They left the port at dawn. It’s now just reaching midday, and Mark has said they’ve covered almost a day's worth of the journey. They’ve been bolstered by favorable winds and smooth waters that most of the crew doubt that they’re sailing wild beast of an ocean they’re used to. 

“We’re covering a lot of ground, if this continues, we’ll get to the Waning Crest in only a few days,” Chenle says from behind him. 

“Sadly,” Renjun says, his eyes still set to the calm waters. There is no land before them, just the blues of the sky and sea bleeding into the horizon. He takes a glance behind him to where his guard is stationed. 

The knight seated by a crate, his chest plate strewn across his lap as brushes away dirt and grime from his armor. The sun glints on the etchings on the plate, one of a proud phoenix adorned in gold and crimson--House Zhong’s crest. . 

Chenle’s donned his greaves and cuissse, while his pauldrons lay by his feet. There are beads of sweat running down his face as his eyes stay intent on cleaning one single corner, of what Renjun does not know. It may be rust, but he knows as well as anyone that Chenle’s armor has not rusted the entire two months he’s been assigned to Renjun. 

"I don't know why you can't just send it over to the smithy before we departed. It's their job to maintain our armaments."

Chenle shakes his head, "I keep telling you, they don't know how to deal with this. It’s not normal steel that your grumbly blacksmith fiddles with. This needs grace and patience.” 

“Really? Seems more like sweat and delusion from where I’m standing.” 

“Go back to staring at the sea, your highness. Talking to you might get me sea sick,” he says, eyes never looking at Renjun. 

Unlike the other knights who make up Renjun's entourage, Chenle is garbed in the speciality armor he had brought in from the mainland. A family heirloom he had said. He’s also armed with a sharp tongue and ghastly temperament, but that’s something only Renjun knows. 

Normally, the royal guard are required to wear the armor issued by the royal family. However, upon his nomination as a candidate for the royal guard Chenle had requested for one thing from the king: "If I am to protect your son, it is in the armor I was born to die in." 

An audacious request to make to the royal guard, much less to Renjun’s father. One only Chenle could have made, if Renjun’s being honest. It takes a special breed of guts, obnoxity and pure air headedness to make such a demand. 

There were many candidates that day, but Chenle’s innate talent and instinct won everyone over. At the time Chenle had much to prove, for his pride and the pride of his noble house. House Zhong does not hold any power in the Gilded Isles, so for most of the onlookers that day, there only stood an audacious lad with a funny looking set of armor. 

House Zhong’s renown spans the kingdoms to the east, far removed from the system of islands the Dawn Coast interacted with. The fame of the knights span from the streets of Mist Shore to the highlands of the Everdeep Keep. For those who knew of the proud house, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. According to Jeno, one of the few knights Renjun’s age, Chenle quite literally swept the competition with his deft spearmanship and unmatched footwork. 

In the end, his father had no choice but to accept. 

Now, of the hordes of knights on the ship, most of whom are, at the very least, five years his senior, Chenle stands the highest rank. In the kingdom he is only rivaled by the King's Guard and the Grandmaster, both of whom have age and experience far beyond the diminutive Chenle. 

Renjun was never the best fighter. He'd say he's decent at best. Even with the supplementary lessons the swordmaster provided him, he still could not reach the level of competence befitting of his stature. Renjun has long accepted that he'd never be the fighter the kingdom expected him to be. However, what he could not achieve in martial prowess, he made up with superior intellect. That’s how he finds himself on this special diplomatic mission to the Waning Crest. 

“We just have to settle the arrangements with the Red Lady, then we’re out of there. It won’t even take a day, right?” Chenle says after some time.

Renjun hums in ascent. 

“Then why are you so grumpy? Isn’t this your favorite region to visit?”

Renjun sighs, “In the past maybe.” 

“What changed?” the knight asks. Chenle has only been with Renjun a few months, and his knowledge of the politics surrounding the Gilded Isles is rather limited. 

“The Red Lady, Kim Taeyeon.” 

It’s not that Renjun dislikes the Red Lady. It's everything else surrounding her that he dislikes. Kim Taeyeon of the Waning Crest represents a lot of things. As the latest, and last, descendant of the longest dynasty in recorded history she represents the end of her lineage. As the first Lady to first reject marriage, she represents the halt to a century spanning tradition. As the first Lady to reject the influence of the kingdom’s elders she represents the beginning of the Waning Crest’s civil unrest.

It was the day of her coronation when she announced that the Kim bloodline would end with her. This came as surprise not only to the nobles who aided her, but also the neighbouring islands. The Waning Crest had gained infamy for being the only matriarchal society in all of the Gilded Isles. Her announcement rattled the very foundation of their long lineage. Ties that have been sown through generations seemed to have severed clean through in a matter of months. Now, their position amongst the elite has progressively weakened. So much so, that her position among the four great houses of the Gilded Isles has been threatened on a daily basis. 

“I can’t really enjoy anything there anymore when everyone wants to kill each other.” 

“That’s what change can get you. A whole lot of shit,” Chenle says with a smile, “My uncle was in a coup d'etat before. He didn’t particularly like it, said it smelled like desperation and lard.”

Civil unrest had settled in the crest, on one end the staunch traditionalists who implore Taeyeon to rescind and bear an offspring, and on the other the progressives who seek to destroy the monarchy that so long ruled their land. 

“If you were in her place, what would you do?” Chenle asks, “Get laid or tell everyone to fuck off?” 

Being the heir to the throne of one of the four main houses had always been a source of pride for Renjun's. However, as he gets older it becomes a harder and harder title to bear. 

“For the sake of the kingdom, I’d do what’s best.” 

Chenle rolls his eyes, “Boring.” 

Renjun ignores Chenle to look back to the sea. . 

“Why did she call on us, is what I’m wondering,” Chenle says, “It makes more sense for them to contact Moggrin, they’ve been allies for forever.”

“We’re the only ones who heeded her call," is Renjun's solemn reply.

Chenle stops his scrubbing to gawk at Renjun’s words, “Members of the four houses turned her down? That’s unheard of.”

Renjun purses his lips. True, in the long standing history of the noble houses, the leaders never turned their back on another when it came to matters of safety in the Gilded Sea. This was their code, to protect the freedom and peace of the land and seas.

“The other houses don’t believe her claims."

“And the king does?” 

Renjun pauses. 

"The king is suspending his judgement,” Renjun says looking at Chenle but avoiding his eyes. 

"Oh, noble talk for big fat no."

Chenle shakes his head and starts scrubbing at his armor again. 

"It's a very far fetched story,” Renjun says. 

"Why would the Red Lady make it up?"

"Father says to retain a sense of security." Renjun says as he catches a glimpse of a school of flying fish leaping from the depths. 

"Many have sought to take her place on the council of four. Her country is under civil unrest and her trusted allies seem more and more like casual acquaintances with each passing moon." 

Chenle continues scrubbing at his breast plate. 

"It just seems off that she'd lie about a threat from the north."

"Father says that desperate people will go through desperate measures if it means maintaining a sense of power."

Chenle rolls his eyes, "Sounds like your old man. Always the pessimist."

Renjun turns back "Life as a leader mandates pessimism. If he trusted every nobleman who waltzed up the castle and offered their allegiance, we'd be long dead."

"The Red Lady isn't a random nobleman. She's an ally. A long trusted ally who, with your father, has sworn to protect these seas. It's different."

Renjun sighs. He understands where Chenle is coming from. That's his code: loyalty and fealty. But nobles always play this precarious game. It's not something he can so easily escape. His life has been woven into this web of lies before he could even walk.

The Red Lady has become more and more unstable for the past months, and the three other houses have been distancing themselves from her to maintain a sense of stability within the collection of islands. Renjun understands his father’s apprehension, he really does. It unsettles him. 

“How about you, princey, do you believe what she’s saying?” 

Renjun breathes. Kim Taeyeon had requested for the aid of the other nobles to suppress an old threat from the north, the nature of which his father has not disclosed. Renjun remembers the grim expression on his father’s face when he instructed Renjun to serve as envoy for the kingdom. 

“I choose not to have an opinion.” 

“Boo! Give me an answer!” Chenle screams at Renjun, while throwing a brush at the prince.

Renjun ignores Chenle and looks to the sea. He’s under strict orders to reject any request for aid. He was to attend to understand the situation and kindly decline. It was the first time Renjun ever felt any inkling of admonition towards his father. The king knew that Lady Kim had a soft spot for Renjun. This was his way of trying to soften the blow.

Renjun watches the endless sea and sky open before them. Feels the thrum of the ocean and delicate dancing of the wind between the strands of his hair. He feels a blanket of calm come over him and--

“Renjun! Stop daydreaming, we need a weather check!” Chenle hollers from the hull of the ship. 

Renjun turns away from the water and heads to the helm. He doesn’t know how long he’s been out there that Chenle had completed his cleaning and went off to bother Mark. When he climbs the steps, he finds Chenle mulling over the map with Mark. He’s one of Admiral Lee’s most trusted captains. A talented seafarer and combatant, Mark on paper sounds like a respectable guy. Only downside is that he’s extremely clumsy and awkward. 

“My liege, apologies for interrupting your reflection,” Mark says kindly regarding the prince as he approached before looking back to the map, “just wanted to update you on our course for the rest of the day.” 

“The prince wasn’t thinking of anything serious, he was just thinking of ways to woo Admiral Jaehyun by means of slobbering all over his face,” Chenle says from where he’s looking 

Renjun ignores Chenle’s jeering and faces Mark. His small crush on the vice-admiral of the Dawn Coast was not something Mark needed to know. 

“Winds are in our favor. No clouds for miles, I think we’re good.” The journey from the Dawn Coast to the Crest usually took around four days, give or take a day if the seas are unruly. However, with the favorable weather conditions they managed to cover more ground than necessary. 

Mark nods, “Yeah, it seems we’ll get there earlier than expected if the weather and winds continue staying like this.” 

“Any concerns with our current course?” Renjun asks as Mark tracks their progress on the map. 

“Given our current trajectory, we’ll hit Storm’s Pass by nightfall. We were initially aiming to pass through here just so that we can reach the crest in our appointed time, but given our progress I think we can take the longer route around and avoid any potential hurdle that may come our way.” 

Renjun looks to the ocean ahead of them. He takes his finger into the air and feels for the movement of the wind. Aside from being a talented strategist, Renjun is also one of the most sought over navigators in the Dawn Coast. Not only was he a master of navigating the currents, he also had an uncanny ability of feeling for the weather. Renjun doesn’t quite understand it himself, images and feelings churn in his gut. For most of his childhood, Renjun thought he had just bad sea sickness. It was the Admiral himself, Lee Taeyong, who had picked up on the fact that Renjun always had a stomach ache before a storm. Ever since, he had learned to read how his body reacted to the weather. 

“My gut tells me forward through the Pass.” 

“What’s the Storm’s Pass, Cap?” Chenle asks pointing at the cluster of islands between their current location and open seas. 

“It’s a collection of islands that are frequented by monsoons and heavy rains. It experiences rainfall around eight months out of the year. Luckily, we’re in the month when the seas are relatively calm, so we can choose to pass by with less risk.”

“You haven’t been sailing too much?” Mark asks.

Chenle shakes his head. “Not this far. I come from the mainland. We go around on a horse, what with the lack of unending depths and all” he says looking to the map again, eyes catching on something. 

“What’s this thing?” Chenle asks, pointing to a mass of land to the west of Storm’s Pass. 

“Oh, no one’s actually named that island. We just call it the Sailor’s Grave. I think the name speaks for itself.” 

Chenle looks at Mark expectantly for a few moments, “Oh, they die. Why though? Monsters?”

“It’s covered in fog and surrounding the island are a cluster of jagged rocks, then there’s the case of the strong currents. It’s impassable by larger vessels and smaller boats just get dragged by the waves.” 

“Sounds depressing.” 

"Well, everyone that has gone in never came out. So they're either brave or stupid, or both."

"I'd take brave and stupid over smart and stubborn any day. Right, Renjun?" Chenle says, patting him on the shoulder with his gauntlet, leaving a dull ache in its wake. 

"Your words seemed veiled."

Chenle looks at him in shock, "My words? Veiled? Utterly preposterous, I'm a noble knight with my noble words serving a noble brat. Nothing I say is veiled!"

Renjun sighs, "Please do excuse him, he hasn't been out at sea for this long, he's probably delirious by now."

Mark laughs and ruffles Chenle's hair warmly, "No worries, sire. He actually reminds me of my younger brother."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Renjun replies. 

Mark, too sincere for his own good, just laughs it off before taking his leave to instruct the rest of the crew of their course. 

“Your finger in the sky trick really comes in handy, huh? The gods must have really loved you, giving you weather predicting skills and a pretty little face to match.” Chenle says with a smirk. 

“Too bad they completely forgot to give you a pleasing personality.” 

“Do you ever shut up?” Rejun says smacking Chenle upside the head. The knight laughs it off, his cackle echoing across the deck.

“But that would mean giving you a moment of peace. We wouldn’t want that, now would we?” 

“Why couldn’t father have given me a nicer knight. Jeno would have been so much better.” 

“Yes, by the book Lee would have matched well with you. You and him would have bonded splendidly over debates over who’d more likely die sad and alone.” 

Renjun rolls his eyes. 

“Don’t worry sire, my bets are still on you. You’d have a wonderful tombstone. Hopefully by then you would have uttered two words to vice-admiral Jung.” 

“He just has a pleasant face.” 

“That I can agree with. Just sad he’s dedicated his life to convincing people that Admiral Lee has a soul.” 

“For a knight, your tongue is awfully dishonorable.” 

Chenle shrugs, “I was taught how to be honorable through my actions, not my words.”

Renjun shakes his head, he can never quite win with his guard. Chenle, though brash and irreverent, at best, still upholds the noble code that is thrust upon him. Renjun had the pleasure of never having to see Chenle defend him against a threat. However, of the time they have spent together, Renjun has never had a reason to fear for his safety. His sanity, however, is another story. 

“You can stand to learn a lot from Admiral Lee. He’s participated in countless battles. He even thwarted an attempted assassination or two.” 

Chenle shrugs, “And get another earful on how to honorably thrust my spear through someone’s throat? No thanks.” 

“He’s just protective, he’s like an older brother to me, you know. He’s practically raised me.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem. He also passed on his beguiling charm.” 

  
The sun had begun its descent into the horizon. The wind started to get colder. Renjun looks up and feels an unsettling chill run down his spine. He shrugs it off.

The day slowly transitions to night and the company settles in for dinner. Usually, he'd stay in his quarters, but tonight he decides to take his meal by the helm. It's not something royalty are expected to do, but his father isn't here so he indulges himself. 

When he and Chenle get there, Mark is there fiddling with the map again. 

"Captain, wouldn't that be easier done in your quarters?" Chenle asks as he leans on the railings. Renjun greets Mark before leaning next to his guard. It's not the lavish feast he's used to in the castle, but it's not pedestrian by any means. A whole sptatchcocked quail with roast potatoes and a side of aspic. 

"I like the breeze. It's calming." Mark says jotting something on the map before looking out into the horizon.

"If my calculations are correct we'll arrive in the islands in two days time."

Renjun looks in the direction and sees utter darkness, even in the moonlight he can't make up anything but endless waters.

"I was just plotting the route through the pass. There are just some areas that have had pirate sightings recently."

Chenle perks up suddenly at Mark’s words. 

"I always wanted to fight a pirate. The knights say they're tricky to deal with."

Renjun sours at Chenle's enthusiasm. 

"Pirates are no laughing matter. They're a menace to our society."

"If you say so,” Chenle says not really paying attention to Renjun. It’s common fact that to him and everyone that Admiral Taeyong had not only passed down his naval knowledge to the crown prince, but also his extreme distaste for pirates. 

"That's what they are. Low life's with no creed or humanity."

Renjun sees Chenle visibly deflate at his words, eyes hardening at the rash tone. 

"That's too much, prince. I feel like there are honorable pirates."

"Crooks aren't honorable, Chenle."

"Neither are nobles, Renjun."

Renjun flushes and looks down at his plate. He looks at the half eaten blob of aspic, morsels of smoked cod suspended in savory gelatin looking more and more unappetizing the longer he stares at it.

"Have you guys heard of the legend of the sailor's grave?" Mark asks nervously.

It’s a sad attempt at defusing the tension that had settled among them. Fortunately, Chenle isn't one to dwell. 

"The island of death? Is there supposed to be treasure there?” 

“You could say that.” Mark says, pleased that he managed to take off some of the heat. Though Renjun thinks he's more pleased now that he has Chenle's attention again. 

"It's a legend among sailors. My dad used to tell us when we were kids. The reason why the Storm’s Pass came to be.” 

Renjun knows of this story. It’s a popular folklore among seafarers. Even hardened Admiral Lee the words by heart. 

"They say that during the age of the elves, the great spirits roamed the skies and seas. The skies brought the breeze, the rain, and, when angered, the monsoons. 

The seas brought the tides and the undertows. They lived with the elves in harmony. They shared their happiness and sorrows with the people of this world. 

However, this world is too small and too narrow to keep such incredible power, so there came a time when the spirits had to move on; to fill another world with their wonderful magic.” 

Before leaving, they left parts of themselves here to aid the elves. The water spirits gifted the great oceans, rivers, lakes, and the flow of time. The sky spirits left the clouds, the winds and the breeze of change. 

As a final gift, they would endow a select few the gift of their power.” 

Renjun has heard this story many times. They ring to him like a lullaby. An old myth of how the Gilded Isle came to be. 

"However, before gifting their power, the elves had to pass a test to know who was capable of harnessing the power of the storm and seas. 

From their seat under the depths of the oceans, the sea spirits called forth masses of earth from the sea floor, and from it created a maze of violent currents and unrelenting maelstroms. Then, from their throne high in the heavens, the sky spirits blew unfathomable winds and unyielding storms. 

Together they then formed the centre of the world. A towering colossus of stone and earth reached for the sky. To protect the island, a veil of fog so thick that one could not even see their hands and toes fell from the heavens and enshrouded the island in a haze of uncertainty. From the depths rose jagged rocks and sea stacks roused from their deep slumber. 

Many tried and many failed. From great warships, dreadnaughts and galleons, all fell to the might of the forces of nature. For a time, none believed they would be given the power to world the winds and waters, and turned away. However, a brave group of sailors climbed onto a humble keelboat and sailed their way through the great challenge. 

They rode the storms and shifted with the changing tides. They weathered the day and night. They danced against the torrid currents and through hell and high water, they reached the shore. 

Exhausted and at the brink of death’s door they made their final approach, and with a soft thud touched the soft stands. Immediately, enchanted winds blew against their masts, causing their battered ships to lurch forward and upward. The fog around them lifted as they began their final approach. They scaled higher and higher the towering mountain, until not even the clouds could fog their vision. There, at the zenith of the world awaiting their arrival the spirits of the world. 

From then on they were called the sky children, sailors of the clouds and riders of the storm. Others called them sky pirates, the ones who stole the earth’s greatest treasure. 

Some say the chosen were given powers of the spirits themselves. There was one who could call down lighting with a flick of a finger, another told of a thief who could meld with the wind itself. There was even one who could use water to tend to the deepest of wounds.

Many stories were told of them and their great adventures sailing through the heavens. 

Some even say that each storm that passes are the ships of the sky pirates sailing through the clouds."

Chenle doesn’t move throughout the entire narration. His eyes stay on Mark the entire time utterly entranced. Chenle then turns towards Renjun. 

“We should totally go there. I bet it’s true,” Chenle says, “I always wanted to fly. Beats this stupid thing.” he says gesturing to the entire ship. 

He pauses, looks to Mark and smiles, “No offense.” 

“None taken,” Mark replies. 

“What do you think, sire? Ever thought of riding the wind?” Chenle asks Renjun. 

Something in his gut churns. He looks to the sky. High above is a cloudless night, with the stars dotting the unending tapestry of the heavens. An image flashes in his mind, one of the clouds parting, the endlessness of the world unfolding before him, and the serenity of the open skies. It feels nice, comforting, freeing. There’s a moment, fleeting and small, when he feels all his worries fade away, blown out by the rush of the breeze. 

“It’s a nice prospect,” he says as his heart bangs in his chest, “but it’s all a legend, we can daydream when we get back to the coast.”

And with that he falls back down to the real world, with real threats, real troubles and very real problems he needs to face. Chenle looks at him with a small frown and nods. Gone is the glint in his eye, replaced with sadness. Pity, maybe? He doesn’t really know. Renjun places his spoon back on the plate, leaving the aspec suspended and unattended. 

“I think I’ll retreat to my quarters.” he says facing to the ocean, “Take care through the night, Captain. I hope the seas treat you well.” 

He doesn’t hear anything back, only the soft clinks of Chenle’s armor as he follows Renjun’s retreating figure. 

\--

When Renjun wakes, his guts turn. The world around him is shaking and all he can hear is the billowing of the raging wind blasting against wood. The lamps that hang around his chambers rattle and threaten to fall off their perch. Chenle is standing by the door in full armor, spear strapped to his back, face stern, gaze straight to the ground. 

“Evening, prince,” he says through gritted teeth, which Renjun barely hears through the sheer force of the rain battering the ship. 

Renjun stands cautiously, moving to put on his overcoat and boots, “What’s happening?” 

“A storm hit us out of nowhere,” Chenle replies, as a great wave crashed against Renjun’s porthole. He manages to get his bearings. He shakily takes off his night garments and gets into his coat and breeches. He won’t be able to sleep through this storm, he never does. 

From the porthole, he sees hills and valleys of water as far as the eye can see. Walls of water so tall that the hairs of Renjun's neck stand on end. A streak of lightning strikes the torrid waters while heavy rain numbs out most of Renjun’s hearing. 

“The sky was cloudless when we came in here? If there were a storm, we should have seen it coming!” he bellows at Chenle, “I should have felt it.” 

“I’m as surprised as you are, sire.” Chenle replies. His voice is unnaturally calm, the slightest hint of fear just falling off his tongue. 

Renjun did not feel this violence in the winds throughout the day or night. There’s something unnatural about the howling wind and the torrential rain. It felt hollow, for reasons Renjun cannot fully explain. 

“There’s something wrong!” Renjun exclaims, reaching for his broadsword. Chenle, sensing the sudden change in the prince, is quick to block him. 

“Hell no you’re not getting out into that storm!” he cries stepping out from his position by the door to crowd Renjun into getting back to his bed. 

“Worry about your life here in your quarters, just like royals are supposed to do.” 

Normally, Renjun would yield. Chenle is rarely pushy. He usually goes with whatever decision Renjun makes. Let’s the prince take the wheel, because he understands that Renjun never has much freedom in the first place. However, Chenle has a duty, and if someone is goading him to thwart his duty, he will do anything that he can to rise against it. Even if that someone is the prince himself. 

“There’s something wrong about this storm Chenle, I feel it in my gut,” Renjun says glaring at his guard. 

“And what will you do once you’re out there? Blow the storm away?” Chenle says. Renjun pails as his heart dips. 

There’s nothing in Chenle’s words. He’s as transparent as a glass of water, there’s no veiled meaning in his words. Just fact, even if the fact hurts. What tumbles out of his mouth is incomparably true. 

What good would Renjun do? Of the many storms he has had to go through as prince, throughout all of them, he sits and waits as his people fight the wind and rain. He sits in fear, while the others nip theirs in the bud to live another day. 

“Everyone on this ship knows their duty to the kingdom, to you. The knights are sworn to protect you with their life. The captain and his crew have promised to deliver you safely to the Waning Crest. If you go out there and something happens, all our efforts will be in vain.” 

“Even if they live another day, they’d have to live the rest of their lives knowing they’ve killed the crown prince of the Dawn Coast. It would be more tragic than death.” 

Renjun glares at Chenle, but he knows deep inside that he’s right. There was nothing he could do against a raging storm. 

“This isn’t the first storm Mark and his crew have gone against, they know what they’re doing.” 

Renjun looks out into the porthole once more and let’s time pass. He watches the waves rise like looming creatures prepared devour them whole. No light permeates the deep black of the storm, only the cracks of lightning. He looks and looks and from time to time it feels like there are shadows that rush across the thundering oceans, like spectres stalking across the billowing maelstrom. If Renjun concentrates hard enough he can block the sound enough. In the silence, it the view of the incoming catastrophe looks beautiful. Like a moving painting of unyielding power. 

Renjun thinks he should be afraid of death, of being swallowed by the storm, but right now he can only feel an odd sense of calm wash over him. He touches the glass of the porthole, letting the moisture and the cold of the glass come over him. 

His calm is interrupted by a knock on the door. He startles at the sound, and looks to the door where Chenle still stands guard. 

“Are you going to get that?” Renjun asks. 

Chenle only looks at him. His eyes no longer glint with the same mischief they usually exude. It makes Renjun stop in his tracks. He has spent a few months with Chenle by his side, and he has never seen the expression on his face.

Renjun takes a step toward him, as swift as the wind Chenle is on him, his hand coming to his mouth. 

“Hide,” he whispers before gently letting Renjun go. 

Another knock. 

Renjun doesn’t fully understand what’s happening, but he trusts Chenle. He shakily moves to the closet and wedges himself inside. He closes the closet just enough so that he can’t be immediately seen, but leaves a small crack he can peer through. 

As soon as Renjun is hidden enough, Chenle grabs his spear and positions himself on the side of the door and slowly unlocks the lock. 

If not for the lamp that hung directly on top of the doorway, Renjun might have not seen the next sequence of events, which begins with the door being forcefully pulled open as a figure charges into the room. 

Chenle, who has readied himself next to the entryway, lunges into a twirling swipe, the butt of his spear landing with a resounding crack on the figure’s head. They fall back at the impact, before Chenle is on them again. He quickly sweeps the figure off his feet, the intruder landing back first on the floorboards. Chenle is on him in a flash, his greaves pressing to the person’s chest. Poor thing couldn’t even look Chenle properly before their throat is being thrust open by a spear. The body convulses beneath Chenle’s feet for a moment, before going limp. 

Chenle does a quick check of the halls before he closes the door and locks it once more. As soon as the threat is quelled, he gestures for Renjun to come out of his hiding place. 

Renjun’s heart lurches suddenly. He can’t even process what had just happened. His father had always said that Chenle was as swift as the wind itself, but that wasn't some wayward gust, Chenle was an unrelenting whirlwind of death. He feels an odd mix of relief and fear wash over him. 

“Protocol 131: All personnel are to state their name and business before entering a chamber that contains a royal,” Chenle sneers at the newly produced corpse on the floor. 

It’s a harsh reminder. Soldiers and staff alike have to state their identity and their reason for entering a royal’s chambers. If Chenle weren’t with him, he’d be the body on the floor. 

Chenle kneels and takes swift investigation of the body. Renjun can’t quite see the man’s face, only the mangy beard that reaches his ears. The rest of his face is covered by his tricorn, not that Renjun wants to see beyond that. He’s wearing an unkempt leather jacket with missing pockets and frayed hems. There are stains, maybe food, maybe wine, some surely blood--his own. 

Chenle unsheaths the scimitar strapped to the man’s waist and does a quick check of its condition. 

“Scimitar is in pristine condition. From what I can tell, it was made at the coast. Stolen from a travelling noble, perhaps.” 

“Pirates,” Renjun whispers. 

Swiftly Chenle rids the dead body of its coat before presenting it to Renjun. 

“Time to dress down, sire.” Chenle says looking at Renjun. When Renjun doesn’t react, he tosses it to him. Renjun retracts and lets the coat fall to the ground. 

“If pirates made it here, it means they’ve breached the guard. If we stay here they will find us. We need to move you somewhere safer.” 

Renjun doesn’t quite comprehend. Chenle has stepped five scenarios ahead and Renjun is still getting over the opening scene.  
  
  


“Prince, we need to move,” Chenle says, his voice much warmer than it has been for the past minutes. 

He grabs the jacket that lays on the floor, “Your garments are too ostentatious, they’ll recognise you as soon as we walk out the door. Wear this smelly coat so that we can, at the very least, blend in.”

“What about you?” Renjun says gesturing to Chenle’s full palate armor. 

Chenle smirks, “They’ll go for me before they do you, that’s for sure. The knights are all stationed outside to help the crew. Someone must have slinked in without them noticing.” 

Renjun takes the coat gingerly. It’s still wet from the rain, but he puts in one regardless. It smells of tobacco and salt.

There’s a lot of questions racing through Renjun’s mind. One of them was the clear lack of an enemy ship.

“How did they get on the ship?” Renjun murmurs, “How can a ship even attempt a raid in this weather?” 

Chenle huffs, “I’m as confused as you, prince. However, right now I only care about having you survive the night. Okay?”

“We need to make it to the main deck. There’s a secret hatch the leads to a secret compartment with a rowboat.” 

Renjun’s gut sinks as he closes the coat. 

“Take a breath. Follow me. You’ll make it out alive. Promise,” Chenle says. 

Renjun looks at Chenle and nods. Chenle takes the discarded sword and hands it to Renjun. 

“Just in case.” 

Renjun takes it with shaky fingers. It’s much lighter than the swords they train with in the Coast. He’s not the most talented swordsman, but he can defend himself. 

“Keep close,” Chenle says before he unlocks the door and slowly pries it open. 

The halls are quiet, with no signs of life alive. He can hear the distinct shuffling of footsteps above them and voices, many voices shouting. Friend or foe, he doesn’t know. 

They slowly stalk the halls, Chenle cautiously checking if the coast is clear. No other soul greets them as they venture to steps leading up into the main deck. 

The sounds are louder now. The footfalls, the groaning of wood, the voices, all bleeding together into this wall of noise. 

When they step out, Renjun does not know what to expect. However, it is clear why there is a lack of a pirate ship maneuvering through the storm. 

The Dauntless Sea never looked so viscous. Above them the unholy symphony of lightning and wind plays. It calls for him, invites him to its oblivion. Floorboards creak with rushing footfalls and the mast of the ship cries against the crying wind. Screams dance across the deck, ropes are being hoisted, barrels fly, and the world turns on its head. 

Renjun looks to the sky. There they sail, the masters of the wind and rain. They drift against the screeching winds and from their cannons come the bellows of thunder. 

Here they come, the riders of the storm.

Above them, as if sailing through the air, are a number of keelboats. Renjun cannot see much from the rain and howling winds. He spots maybe one or two that seem like Golden Coast vessels, one that bears the distinct crescent moon of the Waning Crest. They all move deftly across the howling winds, their sails billowing against the battering force of the storm, but never fully yielding to its power. The hover over the Tailwind like vultures hovering over their unwitting victim. 

“They’re real,” is the only thing he can whisper transfixed at the sight before him before a hand is yanking him to the side. 

It’s Chenle, his eyes are crazed with worry, frustration, and a dash of fear, as he pulls Renjun to a corner. 

It’s only at this moment that Renjun gets to see the scene before him. The deck is utter chaos as men try to handle the mast, while soldiers fend figures dressed in the same garments as the corpse lying in Renjun’s chamber. One keelboat from the swarm above them swoops in. From it, drops another body that drops on one unsuspecting soldier knocking him out cold. 

Chenle is cautiously surveying their path, trying to find a place to hide Renjun when suddenly the floorboards beneath them rumble and creak as a fresh body drops into the fray. The figure is dressed in mismatched clothing similar to the one that Chenle dispatched earlier. He takes one look at Chenle and his eyes glimmer with recognition before he takes a small horn from his jacket and blows. 

For a moment, Renjun does not hear anything but the roaring of the horn. It cuts through the din of the fighting and the howling winds. Renjun feels a chill run through his body as knees buckle at the implication. 

Chenle, also understands the circumstance and is quick to lunge and stab at the figure clean through. When Chenle pulls the spear out from where he stabbed it clean through the man’s heart, he sees the glimmer of a smile on the man’s face before he slumps onto the floor. 

Chenle is wordless and ruthless as he starts pulling Renjun to the helm. They climb the steps to the quarterdeck. It’s absent of people, save for Captain Mark desperately clinging onto the helm. He’s struggling, but holding the helm tight to keep them from tipping overboard.

When he sees Chenle and Renjun, his expression darkens, “Prince! You have to get away from here. They’ll find you!” he hollers over the din. 

Chenle pushes Renjun to the very edge of the railing. Renjun holds tightly as the ship continues to sway precariously against the storm. He looks at Mark with the sharp gaze he fixed Renjun earlier.

“Captain,watch over him,” he orders, “It seems I’ll have to kill them all myself.” 

Mark answers with a shaky nod. 

Chenle then poises himself in front of the helm. He plants his feet onto the wet floorboards and faces the bow of the ship, spear at the ready. 

The end starts slowly. 

It begins with one figure lunging at Chenle, no clue of how grave a mistake they were making. The knight gets to work, as he easily deflects three swipes from the swashbucklers sword before he does a graceful turn and sweeps the figure off his feet and stabs through the figure’s chest. He sweeps him to the side as two more emerge from below. 

Chenle is unfazed having to fend the two off. He’s taking his time dodging his assailant’s strikes. It’s clear that the two do not have any coordination with each other as they’re not in sync in their offense. Chenle easily uses their lack of harmony as an opening. He deflects a swipe from the left, before pivoting and easily trapping the weapon to the ground. He moves with his momentum, bringing the butt of his spear with him, the attacker to his right. There are two more clean swipes and the two are dead on the ground. 

It’s in this small moment that Renjun fully understands why Chenle was selected as his personal guard. Undeterred and unrelenting, yet a picture of composure under intense duress. He watches as Chenle rises from the ground, his house’s emblem proudly displayed across his chest. He is the phoenix in the storm, the smallest hope that they can come out of this in one piece. 

Then the sound of thunder. 

Another keelboat sweeps past them, from it a single shadow descends upon Chenle. 

Unlike the others that lunge immediately upon seeing Chenle, this one stands and observes the knight from a distance. From Renjun’s limited vision he can already see the stark difference of this person’s demeanor. 

It’s a man, he’s wearing a heavy overcoat and nothing beneath it. His chest brandishes the mementos of past battle, with scars littering his toned abdomen. His face is obscured by the night, but by the way his body stands, Renjun feels a formidable aura about him.

Chenle looks at him and they’re locked in a staring match, both unwilling to move from where they stand. A bunch of pirates come from below deck, ready to attack, but upon seeing the figure halt.

Chenle eyes the growing crowd surrounding him but concentrates on the single man before him. 

They stay silent eyeing each other before the figure moves his gaze to something behind Chenle. Then he laughs. It’s deep, guttural and echoes across the deck. It’s seemingly like triumph. 

There are now around a dozen figures standing before Chenle, various weapons at the ready. The figure crosses his arms and seemingly the storm seems to waiver at his movements. The rain somewhat weakens and the winds weaken in velocity. 

“Huang Renjun, Crown Prince of the Dawn Coast, it is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he bellows. 

Now that the rain and winds had lessened in intensity, Renjun can now barely see the face of the man before them. His skin is sun-kissed, and he bears a surprisingly youthful face. This first thing Renjun notices are his large eyes that are filled with some odd happiness and mischief he often sees Chenle carry. 

“And of course, I cannot forget to pay due respect to a member of the renowned House Zhong,” he says genially bowing to Chenle. 

“It’s unfortunate we could not meet under better circumstances, but we have a mission to fulfill,” he says with what seems like genuine regret. 

“Dear prince, if you could, please come forward so we can spare your crew another unnecessary casualty,” he says, extending one hand towards Renjun. 

Renjun doesn’t do anything, can’t do anything, too paralyzed by the meaning of the man’s words. 

Not getting an answer from Renjun, he takes a step forward. 

“Move another inch and I will kill you where you stand,” Chenle growls at him. 

He smirks. There’s a moment where it seems like he would heed Chenle’s warning and stand back. However, there’s a glint in his eyes that Renjun cannot decipher, before he relents and instead places both hands on his hips. 

“My orders were to take the Prince with the least amount of force,” he says, his eyes now looking at Chenle now. His gaze is different now, the joy now replaced with a wanton hunger. 

“But how can I pass up the opportunity to go up against a Zhong knight? That’s just disrespectful, don’t you think?” 

Chenle does not utter anything in response. The man smiles. 

“I, Wong Yukhei, Captain of the Wynnona and General of the Sky Song pirates, call forth Zhong Chenle, second son of the 34th grandmaster of House Zhong, to raise his arms.” 

Captain Yukhei then brandishes two large scimitars from beneath his coat and points them at Chenle. 

A beat of silence as Chenle takes one last glance at Renjun. They share a fleeting moment, as a flash of fear crosses the knight guard’s expression before he steels himself once more. 

Renjun has not seen one in person, but he is fully aware of what this is. It’s the request to a knightly duel. 

“I, Zhong Chenle, second son of the 34th grandmaster of House Zhong and Knight Guard to his royal highness Prince Huang Renjun, Crown Prince of the Dawn Coast, raise my arms.” 

He raises his spear to meet Captain Yukhei’s raised weapon. The formal acceptance to a dance to the death. 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I hope it wasn't too obvious that I thoroughly enjoyed writing Chenle. 
> 
> Hopefully, I was able to introduce the world a bit. I realized while writing that worldbuilding is hard, but fun. I was aiming to give you a glimpse of how everything works without explaining too thoroughly about how everything works. This is one of my first full blown chaptered works, so hopefully it isn't too overwhelming. 
> 
> Please tell me your thoughts regarding the chapter. What do you think about Renjun and Chenle? The world? Overcoat and abs Yukhei?


End file.
